Perceptions of bioinformatics researchers regarding copyright issues under the open access environment

Abstract

AbstractOpen access is considered an alternative model for the promotion of scholarly communication, and much research has been done for the introduction and implication of it. Open access, however, is a relatively a new concept and requires authors' voluntary participation such as transfer of copyrights and providing the public with his/her research outcomes. In terms that authors are the major stakeholders for the open access initiative, it is very important to investigate the researchers' perceptions on copyright issues in terms of the open access environment. The purpose of this study is to investigate researchers' perceptions on copyright issues which may be one of the primary issues for the open access initiatives. Through a literature review and a survey, this research portrays many issues surrounding copyright and open access. They may vary depending on the types of research outcomes such as preprints, research reports and postprints. It also surveys many conditions, especially in terms of copyright issues, that researchers demand when s/he decides to put their research outcomes to use by the public.